Car-coupling.



` PATENTBD MAR. 21. 1905.

T. A. SAVAGE.

GAR GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE ze, 1904.

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No. 785,382. v PATENTED MAR. 2l, 1905.

T. A. SAVAGE.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION yFILED JUNE 2a, 1904.

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UNITED STATESY Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,382, dated March 21, 1905.

I Application filed .Tune 28, 1904:. Serial NO- 214,444.-

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. SAVAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements i car-couplers of that class in which the coupling is effected by coengagement of two jaws or knuckles without the presence of links or pins.

The object of the present invention is to improve upon the construction for which Letters Patent No. 756,645 of the United States v were issued on the th day of April, 1904.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings, in which y Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved couplers with the means for disengaging it from another coupler. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 4, the knuckle being in closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar View, the knuckle having been thrown open by rotation of the shaft 9. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the coupler, the parts being in the same position as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the part which I term the lock-block. Fig. 7 is a vdetached perspective view of the knuckle.

Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the uncoupling-slide. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the knuckle, showing the part engaged by the uncoupling-slide.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, 1 is a portion of a draw-bar, on the end of which the body 2 of the coupler is formed. The top and bottom of the body 2 are provided with two horizontally projecting ears 3 and 4, through which passes a pivot-pin 5, on which is swung the knuckle or jaw 6.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 7, the knuckle 6 has an integral inwardly-extending portion 7, hereinafter called the tail of the knuckle. This portion is formed with an inclined surface 8, which facilitates the passing of the tail under the lock-block when the latter is raised. It will be observed that the metal composing the tail 7 is thickened as it merges into the knuckle, thus providing ample strength to meet the stresses vto which these parts are subjected.

Passing transversely through the coupler is a rockable shaft 9, to one end of which an operating-rod 10 is connected in such a manner that rotation of said rod will turn the shaft. Rod 10 is provided with a handle 11 in proximity to the side of the car. On the other end of the shaft 9 a lever 12 is rigidly secured, and a rodl 13 connected thereto eX- tends up toa point 'adjacent the top of the car, being provided with a handle 14, so that the coupler may be operated from the top of the car, which edects a saving of time and labor to the brakeman when coupling` or uncoupling cars. Fitted in a suitable groove in the bottom of the coupler on the same side as the knuckle 6 is a slidable bar 15, the outer end 16 of which passes under the tail of the knuckle and abuts against an inclined shoulder 17 formed on the bottom thereof. (See Fig. 9.) against a fixed shoulder 18, Figs. 2 and 3. A finger 19 of just the right length to engage the inner end of the slide 15 is tightly driven through a hole drilled in the shaft 9. Thereby when the shaft is turned (the knuckle being closed) theslide 15 will push againstthe shoulder 17 and will thereby turn the knuckle to,

open position. Preferably the slide and its groove are beveled, as shown, so that the slide cannot become displaced upwardly.

Unless the shaft 9 be turned the-knuckle is prevented from turning or opening by a lockblock 20. (Shown detached in Fig. 6.) The outer portion of this block loosely [its the space between the tail 7 and the opposite side of the body 2 when in normal position. It is pivoted adjacent the inner end of the coupler by trunnions or studs 21, which rest in grooves formed in the subjacent portions of the body 2. Thus before insertion of the shaft 9 the block 20 may be passed into the body of the coupler and the trunnions 21 dropped into position, and the block may also be removed for repairs. Cast in the upper surface of the lock-block is a rod 22, below which is formed a recess 23, the purpose of The inner end of the slide 15 abutsl which is to give clearance to adependinghook 24, which lies just beneath the said rod 22. rIhe stem 25 of this hook is driven through a hole drilled in the shaft 9. Aslot 26 is formed in the thinner side of the body 2, so that the hook or stem 25 may be passed into the interior of the coupler when the shaftis inserted. A lateral extension 23', of recess 23 permits the hook to be passed under the rod 22 when assembling.

It will now be understood that when the shaft 9 is turned from its normal position the lock-block 2O will first be tipped up at its outer end by means of a hook 24, engaging the rod 22, thereby releasing the tail of the knuckle. When the lock-block reaches asuflicient height, the finger 19 strikes the slide 15, which swings the knuckle out to open position, its tail passing under the lock-block` The impact of' the two knuckles coming together will turn them to closed position, in which they interlock, as the lock-blocks will automaticallyT fall to normal position, preventing movement of the tails.

To prevent the possibility of the trunnions 21 being lifted out of their sockets when the lock-block is being lifted, I provide a setscrew 27, which passes through the top of the body 2 and almost touches the top of the lockblock in line with the trunnions. Before removing the lock-block from the coupler this screw is run up until fiush with the inner side of the top.

The knuckle-pin 5 may be secured at its lower end with a cotter, as 28, Fig. 4.

By means of the construction described the spring shown in the aforesaid Patent No. 756,645 is dispensed with and the construc- 'tion is otherwise much simplified, and therethe body portion, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, the lower face of the knuckle having a shoulder 17 thereon, a longitudinally-slidable bar supported by the bottom of the body portion, one end of said bar being adapted to engage said shoulder of the knuckle, a transverse rockable shaft, a finger carried by the shaft, said finger being adapted to engage the opposite end of the slidable bar, whereby the knuckle may be thrown open by partial rotation of the shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler the combination, with the body portion, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, the lower face of the knuckle being provided with a shoulder 17, a longitudinally-slidable-bar supported by the bottom of the body portion, one end of said bar being' normally in contact with said shoulder, of the knuckle, a transverse rockable shaft, a finger carried by said shaft, said linger being adapted to strike the opposite end of the slidable bar, whereby the knuckle may be thrown open by partial rotation of the shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler the combination, with the body portion, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, the knuckle having integral therewith a tail portion 7 and a shoulder 17, a longitudinally-slidable bar one end of which is 'adapted to engage said shoulder 17, and a transverse rockable shaft carrying a finger which is adapted to strike the opposite end of said slidable bar; in combination with a rearwardly-pivoted lock-block which normally engages the tail of the knuckle and holds the knuckle in closed position, and an arm carried by the shaft and engaging the lock-block in such a manner that when the shaft is turned the lock-block is first lifted, the said finger then causing the knuckle to be thrown open, the tail 7 passing beneath the lock-block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. SAVAGE.

Witnesses:

M. L. LANGE, K. M. IMBoDnN. 

